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Notes From There

When we were children, my mother had a unique method for dealing with our petty squabbles: she would have us shake hands, hug, and then say, “I’m sorry,”–in that order. Until she came up with this there was no way she gould get us to discipline ourselves any longer than it took for her to leave the room. After that horrible rule and the horrible prospect of actually showing love for each other, we learned the craft of self-discipline.

4.10.09

“Failure is the opportunity to begin again.” Henry Ford

Free markets are fond of catastrophes because they can move into an area on a clean slate and rebuild without any of those pesky regulations or people organized to object. When the Twin Towers fell, though, no one has yet to move in to rebuild. Maybe that’s because of all the fire and safety regulations that will have to be followed–and we know there’s certainly no money in that! Now it looks like they want to preserve the site as a place where the opportunity to rebuild will always be there…while holding out for top dollar.

4.13.09

“The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it was the same problem you had last.”

I am still in prison. It’s a tough problem. My still being here is a mistake–at least in my opinion. But I just can’t seem to get that parole commission to correct the problem! I think the measure of their success, at least as long as I’m measuring it, is rather poor.

4.14.09

“The good or ill of man lies within his own will.” Epictetus

Yesterday when I chose to be miserable over my lousy potatoes at chow, I left really bummed out. But when I thought about it, and chose to be grateful they weren’t beans–Prang!–I suddenly became a really lucky guy!

4.17.09

‘I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” Ghandi

The other evening I had to listen to some guttermouth’s bragging while in the bathroom. When it came time that he expected someone to laugh in support of his story I flushed the toilet–which are very loud here. Actually I flushed it twice–and everyone left.